Cox Brothers Farms of Union County won the 2018 North Carolina Wheat Yield contest with a yield of 121.9 bushels per acre.
The family planted the variety USG 3316 and were also the winners in the Piedmont Region in the contest. Dr. Angela Post, North Carolina State University Extension small grain specialist, said nine entries achieved yields greater than 100 bushels per acre, joining the North Carolina 100 Bushel Club. Winners in every single region of the state topped 100 bushels per acre.
The awards were presented at the North Carolina Commodities Conference in Durham.
For the Coastal Plain Region, Vince King of Duplin County was the winner with a yield of 111.8 bushels per acre. He planted the variety Croplan 9606.
For the Tidewater Region, Chad Poole was the winner with a yield of 107.5 bushels per acre. He planted the variety Croplan 9606.
Seeding rates for the nine entries that made it into the 100-bushel club ranged from 1.5 million seeds per acre to almost two million seeds per acre with and average rate of 1.72 million seeds.
Post said 55 percent of the nine winners were no-till while 45 percent were conventional-tillage. Planting dates ranged from Oct. 18, 2017 to Nov. 2, 2017.
Of the nine 100-bushel club winners, 88 percent planted with a drill on seven- inch or 7.5-inch rows while 12 percent broadcast seeded.
Post said 100 percent of the nine winners used a fungicide seed treatment while 55 percent used both a fungicide seed treatment and an insecticide seed treatment. In addition, 100 percent used at least one fungicide application and at least one herbicide application while 92 percent used at least one insecticide application.
Moreover, 100 percent applied nitrogen at planting. “If you want to make 100-bushel wheat or if you want to make 70 or 80-bushel wheat, if you’re not able to make 100-bushel wheat, you have to use nitrogen up front,” Post said.
Total in-season nitrogen applications of the nine winning entries went all the way up to 185 units with the average of the nine winners totaling 147 units per acre. Post said there was no difference seen between a single application or splitting.
“It’s good news for all our growers, because you can make this yield whether you’re splitting your nitrogen or putting it all on at one time,” Post said.
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